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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Saturday December 22, 2001
INDEX:
* MMR Gag Angers
Health Officials
* No 10 'Gag' Over MMR Outrages Officials:
* Where Do Politicians Go In Their Afterlife?
* Backers of U.S. Mental
Health Proposal Still Upbeat
* Study Offers New Insight Into Why Learning Disorders Are Genetic
* Miller Method Training (4 days) LCDC/Boston
* Cheryl Bennett Johnson SLS MA/Educational Consultant is CHERAB's
New Executive Vice President
* Northeast IL ASA Chapter Social
******************************
MMR Gag Angers Health Officials
Front Page in UK
No 10 blocks ministers from saying if their children have been vaccinated
[This flap is reminiscent of the time before the
US elections when the
media was dogging then candidate George Bush about he alleged drug use
decades ago. Bush also insisted then it was a private matter and refused
to
disclose. But that's where the comparison ends. This may be
whimsical
enough to make the US evening news. Thanks to Richard Miles. –LS By
Rosemary Bennett, Financial Times; Dec 21, 2001.]
Downing Street has enraged health department
officials by forbidding
ministers from disclosing if their children have been given the
controversial MMR vaccine.
The officials say the gagging order has
undermined efforts to restore
public confidence in the mumps, measles and rubella triple jab. There have
been suggestions that the triple vaccine could be linked to autism and bowel
disease.
Downing Street ordered ministers last week not to
comment on whether
their children had received the vaccine to prevent Tony Blair being forced
to reveal if his 18-month-old son Leo had been inoculated.
They were told to say they did not comment on the
health of their
children in order to protect their privacy.
But a senior health official said Downing Street
was guilty of double
standards. "Tony Blair often speaks about his children. Clearly it doesn't
suit him on this occasion and the public is going to wonder why," he said.
The prime minister has referred to his children
in speeches and
interviews, and his official spokesman provided a blow-by-blow account of
Euan Blair's post-GCSE celebration last summer when he was arrested for
being drunk and incapable.
However, Downing Street officials said last night
they would not back
down; family health matters would remain private.
The gag proved embarrassing for Jacqui Smith,
junior health minister,
yesterday as she repeatedly ducked questions about her own children during a
Radio Four interview, although she hinted she had followed government advice
and had them vaccinated.
Yvette Cooper, the public health minister
responsible for the jab,
confirmed before Downing Street issued the ban that her two-year-old
daughter had been vaccinated.
Increasing numbers of parents are refusing to
give their children the
jab despite repeated assurances from ministers that it is safe.
The latest official figures show only 87 per cent
of children were
vaccinated against the diseases in the year to March compared with rates of
about 94.5 per cent for diphtheria, tetanus and polio. www.ft.com/healthcare
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 1995-1998
http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011221000203&query
=mmr#docAnchor011221000203
******************************
No 10 'Gag' Over MMR Outrages Officials:
Yahoo! News UK:
Health officials are angry at a Number 10
decision to gag ministers
from revealing if their children have been given the MMR vaccine.
Yvette Cooper is the only minister to confirm
that her daughter has
had the jab - before the order from Downing Street went out.
Health secretary Alan Milburn has threatened a
government boycott of
the BBC's Today programme after health minister Jacqui Smith was grilled by
John Humphrys - the presenter described her refusal to disclose whether her
children had received the combined vaccine as "holier than thou".
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/011221/143/cm9v9.html
******************************
Where Do Politicians Go In Their Afterlife?
December 19, 2001
by: Phyllis
Schlafly
Where do politicians go after they leave office? Politicians and their
staffs usually have career planning on their radar screen.
Liberal Republican Bob Franks was confronted with this issue during
a heated New Jersey gubernatorial primary debate in 2001, and he
responded by saying he would "never" become a drug company
lobbyist. A few weeks after he was defeated, he reportedly
became a
$400,000-a-year lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry.
Earlier this year, the Illinois legislature unanimously passed a good
and sensible bill to prohibit conflicts of interest for those
who serve
on
vaccine advisory panels. But the drug industry lobbyists held an ace
in the hole: lame-duck Illinois Governor George Ryan, soon to be
seeking new jobs for himself and his staff. He vetoed the bill.
The pharmaceutical corporations, whose generous political spending
gives them unrivaled clout with public officials, now have big
plans to
capitalize on public fears after 9/11. The drug industry works closely
with the federal agency called the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), and conflicts of interest are customary on federal
and state drug advisory panels.
The CDC has just released, and is urging state legislatures to pass,
a Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (EHPA). It is an
unprecedented assault on the constitutional rights of the American
people, as well as on our fundamental principles of limited
government and separation of powers.
EHPA's principal author is Lawrence O. Gostin, a former member of
Clinton's discredited Task Force on Health Care Reform. Clinton's
attempted takeover of the entire health industry failed and resulted
instead in the Republican congressional victory of 1994.
The proposed EHPA would bring about government takeover of the
health industry by the states instead of by the federal government.
EHPA would give each governor sole discretion to grant himself far-
reaching powers.
Under EHPA, the state legislature relinquishes its power to stop
overreaching by the governor until at least 60 days after his actions.
EHPA suggests requiring a two-thirds vote of the legislature declaring
that the risk has disappeared before the governor could be restrained.
The bill wouldn't allow the governor to be reversed just because his
actions are unwarranted, oppressive, or overreacting to the threat.
The legislature would have to find that the risk doesn't exist any
more, something many legislators would be reluctant to declare.
Here are some of the extraordinary powers EHPA would give to each
governor. He could control, restrict or prohibit firearms, seize private
property and even destroy it in many circumstances, and impose
price controls and rationing.
He could order people out of their homes into dangerous quarantines
where there would be no guarantee of safety from violence or
contagious disease. Children could be taken from their parents and
thrown into public quarantines managed by government officials.
The governor could demand that physicians administer certain drugs
despite individuals' objections and with no provision for religious
exemptions. Without any checks or balances, the governor would
become both doctor and policeman.
Under EHPA, government authorities would have full access, without
meaningful limitation, to everyone's medical records. If the alleged
emergency turned out to be grossly exaggerated or even a hoax,
government need not return the private records.
Remember how Bill and Hillary Clinton got shocking access to, and
were able to use, hundreds of FBI files about their political
opponents? EHPA would authorize similar intrusions by government
officials through access to the personal medical files of their
enemies.
No public health emergency justifies EHPA's draconian infringements
on our liberties. EHPA would grant these powers to governors without
any showing of a real emergency, and merely an isolated case of a
serious disease, or even a misdiagnosis, could trigger the governor's
seizure of power.
George Annas, chairman of the Health Law Department at Boston
University School of Public Health, says that "this law treats
American citizens as if they were the enemy."
Already, the drug company lobbyists have gotten 43 states to order
mandatory vaccination of all schoolchildren against hepatitis B, even
though the CDC reports only a tiny number of cases among children
under age 14, and the disease is avoidable by lifestyle choices.
Some schools are even refusing to recognize medical and religious
exemptions.
Money is behind these laws, not logic or emergency. If you check
out who is pushing these drug mandates, you will usually find
pharmaceutical corporation "research" grants, political
contributions,
and layers of conflicts of interest.
The CDC and vaccine makers are pushing state legislatures to enact
ever more far-reaching drug mandates and enforcement and to put
EHPA on state legislative dockets starting in January. Secretary of
Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson has called for
EHPA's passage.
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)
opposes EHPA, and state legislatures should heed the physicians'
advice. Governors should not be playing doctor nor should they be
grabbing dictatorial powers.
Read this column online:
http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2001/dec01/01-12-19.shtml
Link to Model State Emergency Health Powers Act:
http://www.publichealthlaw.net/Resources/Modellaws.htm
******************************
Backers of U.S. Mental Health Proposal Still
Upbeat
WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) -
Proponents of requiring insurers to provide mental health coverage expressed
disappointment on Wednesday with House Republicans decision to table a
Senate-passed bill that would have provided ``parity'' in coverage of mental
and physical illness, but remained upbeat about the measure's future
prospects.On Tuesday, House Republican negotiators eliminated the measure from
the US Department of Health and Human Services (news - web sites) 2002 appropriations bill, a must-pass piece of
legislation that supporters of the measure hoped would help carry the day.But
House Republications agreed with business and insurance company claims that the
measure could prove too costly at a time when healthcare expenses already are
spiraling upward, and instead voted to renew for one year a less inclusive
parity law that expired in September.In response, proponents vowed on Wednesday
to step up their lobbying efforts.``This year we took mental health parity deep
into the 'red zone.' Next year, we hope to push it over the goal line,'' noted
the Federation of American Hospitals in a prepared statement.While the vote
followed an extended debate, there were also reasons to remain upbeat, observed
Ralph Ibson, vice president for government affairs at the National Mental
Health Association.Ibson said that among those were the promise by Sen. Pete
Domenici (R-NM) to reintroduce the measure next year and the broad spectrum of
national organizations that have now joined the advocacy effort.``More and more
people have come to appreciate the importance of mental health and the stinging
inequity of insurance barriers to needed treatment,'' Ibson said. ``Members of
Congress will remember the barrage of phone calls and letters urging them to
support mental health parity.''Ibson also observed that proponents did win
several less publicized concessions, including a $142-million raise in funding
for the National Institute of Mental Health.But while remaining positive about
the measure's future prospects, Ibson and other supporters also cautioned that
passage of the legislation remains an uphill battle.``As we move forward with
our advocacy, we must keep in mind that legislation that is opposed by powerful
deep-pocketed interests is not easily won,'' Ibson warned supporters of the
legislation.In 10 years, Congress has not cared enough to hold a hearing, added
Domenici, who introduced the Senate bill.Still, Ibson said defeat would just
fuel proponents' determination to win.He also noted that the chairman of the
powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative Billy Tauzin
(R-LA), has agreed to hold a hearing next year and that President Bush (news -
web sites) reportedly has offered to help rekindle the debate next
year.``Affiliates and other advocates should be proud of all that was achieved
this year,'' Ibson said. ``Those lawmakers and special interests that opposed
mental health parity will not soon forget the outpouring for parity.''
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011219/hl/mental_1.html
******************************
Study Offers New Insight Into Why Learning
Disorders Are Genetic
Bijal P. Trivedi
National Geographic Today
November 8, 2001
Scientists analyzing new images of the brain have discovered that structures
associated with language are heavily influenced by genetics. The finding begins
to explain why learning disorders such as dyslexia and autism can run in
families.
The same study also revealed that the volume of gray matter is strongly linked
with IQ.
Brainy Findings
In these brain images, the areas in red show regions that are heavily
influenced by genetics.
Photograph courtesy of Paul Thompson
More images of comparative brain scans of twins
"Our study reveals there is a heritable component to intelligence,"
said neuroscientist Paul Thompson of the School of Medicine at the University
of California at Los Angeles, who led the research. "The finding is
particularly surprising," he said, "because you wouldn't think
something as general as the volume of gray matter could effect something as
complex as intelligence." The brain consists of two layers: gray matter
and white matter. Gray matter is a one-quarter-inch layer of brain cells
surrounding a ball of white matter. The white matter occupies the inner core of
the brain and contains the wiring that connects the brain cells. The gray
matter is thought to be the most important part of the brain for cognition and
emotion. Thompson and colleagues in Finland set out to determine which brain
structures are controlled predominantly by genes. They used magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), which can distinguish between white and gray matter, to produce
brain images of identical and fraternal twins. A comparison of the MRI scans
revealed that the volume of gray matter in the frontal lobe, the area just
behind the eyes, is highly heritable. "But the volume of gray matter alone
cannot be used to gauge an individual's IQ," Thompson cautioned. The study
found that differences in the volume of gray matter account for only 10 to 15
percent of the variation in intelligence. "That's good news," said
Thompson. "This shows how important the 'nurture' part is." Science
has long been divided about whether levels of intelligence are shaped mainly by
"nature" (genetics) or by "nurture," which refers to
non-genetic factors such as education, environment, diet, rest, and overall
health. The brain is a highly modular structure, with different sections
handling discrete tasks—reading, speaking, risk assessment, and visual
processing, for example. Thompson and his colleagues sought to find out whether
the size of these modules was influenced by genetics. The MRI scans indicated
that two areas of gray matter that control reading comprehension and speaking
(known respectively as Wernicke's area and Broca's area) were highly similar in
size in identical twins, which share an identical set of genes. The Broca's and
Wernicke's areas were also similar in non-identical twins, who on average share
about half of their genes. But these differences were greater than in the
comparison of identical twins, and fewer than in two unrelated individuals. The
study shows that the more closely related two people are, the more likely they
are to share similar brain structure in regions heavily controlled by genetics.
They are also more likely to share vulnerabilities to specific diseases
affecting these areas. While these ideas are not new, Thompson's work is the
first detailed study showing how strongly brain structure is determined by
genes and inheritance. The results are described in the November issue of the
journal Nature Neuroscience. Thompson's study is part of a much broader effort
to understand which regions of the brain are associated with brain diseases such
as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's. • Watch continued television
coverage of this subject on National Geographic Today, only on the National
Geographic Channel, 7 p.m. ET/PT in the United States. Click here to request
it.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/11/1108_TVbrainmatter.html
******************************
Miller Method Training (4 days) LCDC/Boston
Arnold and Eileen Eller-Miller, developers of the Miller Method, are conducting
intensive theory + hands-on training in their cognitive-developmental systems
approach with children on the autism spectrum. Open to professionals of
all relevant disciplines and parents of special children.
Workshops are scheduled for the following days:
January 7 - 10, 2002
March 11 - 14, 2002
May 13 - 17, 2002
July 15 - 18, 2002
Workshops are held at the Language and Cognitive Development Center, 11
Wyman Street/PO Box 270, Boston, 02130. Visit
<www.millermethod.org> for further information and contact Dr. Paul
Callahan (800) 218 - 5232 for information about the workshops or application
forms.
******************************
Cheryl Bennett Johnson SLS MA/Educational
Consultant is
CHERAB's New Executive Vice President
Dear Friend of CHERAB:
As we begin the New Year, I am delighted to report that Cheryl
Bennett Johnson SLS MA/Educational Consultant has agreed to serve as
CHERAB's New Executive Vice President, replacing Suzanne Smolyer who
has resigned. Cheryl is a gifted educator and New Jersey's "Pride in
Education" Teacher Representative". As Cheryl has held that
prestigious title for two years, you may have seen her in one of the
two Television Commercials representing NJ Education. CHERAB is truly
fortunate to have Cheryl as part of its executive board, as she
brings much experience and enthusiasm to this position.
The Board of Trustees has also retained Alan S. Ashkinaze, Esq., an
attorney with significant experience in counseling non-profit
organizations. Since CHERAB is growing so rapidly, his charge will
be to conduct a thorough review of the corporate by-laws and to
develop a legal framework as to how CHERAB can best be governed.
You will also be noticing some changes to both the CHERAB and Shop-in-
Service web sites. Although the Shop-in-Service web site hosts the
CHERAB site, as of today, there are no longer be any links to/from
the CHERAB and Shop-in-Service websites (other than listing Shop-in-
Service in the "Resources" section as one of many other
suppliers).
We are making this change to avoid any appearance of a conflict of
interest.
On behalf of everyone at CHERAB, I want to extend my best wishes for
a happy and healthy New Year to you and your family.
Sincerely,
=====
Lisa Geng
President CHERAB Foundation
Communication Help, Education, Research, Apraxia Base
http://www.apraxia.cc
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/childrensapraxianet
908-626-KIDS (5437)
"Help give our cherubs a smile and a voice"
******************************
Northeast IL ASA Chapter Social
The Northeast Illinois chapter of the
Autism Society of America will hold its annual holiday social on December 29th
at the Little Gym in Gurnee from 1-3 p.m.
Everyone is welcome - no cost for ASA?ASI members donations accepted for
non-members. The event will be GFCF so we hope many of you can attend. Please
RSVP to Eric @ 847-543-4502 or NEChapASI@aol.com
******************************
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